Labeling machine



April 21, 1953 M. FAIREST ETAL 2,635,765

LABELING MACHINE Filed Sept. 25, 1951 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 FIG].

, Inventor? WJM 1-13 11 gm By 6111185 I M (um Attorney April 21, 1953 M. FAIREST ET AL 2,635,765

- LABELING MACHINE Filed Sept. 25, 1951. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 45 I nlienfor b. new/W1 M4,? ra/daw Attorney Patented Apr. 21, 1953 LABELING MACHINE Morgan Fairest and Derek Howard Fairest, Sheffield, England Application September 25, 1951, Serial No. 248,174 In Great Britain September 30, 1950 9 Claims. 1

This invention relates to labelling machines of the type in which a label is held, gummed-side out, by suction to a delivery plate for transfer to a travelling bottle or other article brought into rolling contact with the g-ummed side of the label on the plate, and is particularly concerned with the application of labels to the necks of bottles.

The neck of a bottle is not only of less diameter than the cylindrical body, but usually has a more or less pronounced taper. In a typical beer bottle, for example, the part of the neck to which labels are often applied is really a shoulder sweeping smoothly from the full diameter towards the neck of the bottle. Consequently, that part of the bottle lies clear of the general plane of any surface in contact with which the bottle may be brought (as for the application of a body label), and, moreover, lies at an angle to that plane. Because of this inclination, and the different peripheral speed of the bottle neck, it has been usual to apply body labels by rolling in one operation, and neck labels in a separate operation, involving extra machines, time and labour, and introducing the possibility that body and neck labels are not aligned with each other.

According to the present invention, a main suction delivery plate, movable between positions at which it may receive a label gummed-side out and then present the gummed side of the label to the body of a bottle, is provided with a pivoted supplementary suction delivery plate to receive a neck label gummed-side out, and with means I to urge the supplementary plate outwards about its pivot into an inclined position so as to present the label for reception by the correspondingly inclined neck of a bottle. The urging means ensure contact between the neck and the label, irrespective of minor variations in bottle size and roundness, precise shape and taper of neck, and so on, some or all of which could affect the rela tive positions of the supplementary plate and the neck when the bottle is pressed against the main delivery plate.

In order to provide for the application of a gummed neck label to the supplementary plate in much the same manner as a body label to the main plate, means may also be provided to move the supplementary plate about its pivot so that its face is substantially aligned with that of the main plate. Then, to receive a neck label, the supplementary plate is moved with the main plate to face a pair of labels, one a neck label and the other a body label, presented in substantially the same plane, with their ungummed faces towards the supplementary and main delivery plates. Thus, the two labels may be presented by an apertured pick-up plate to which both body and neck labels adhere by gum at each side of the aperture, so that a transfer pusher movable through the aperture engages the rear of each label between its two gummed portions and presses the labels against the two delivery plates, there to be held by suction. It then sufilces for the pick-up plate, after receiving gum, to be presented to two label stacks to receive and gum two labels, and these to be moved to face the delivery plate, when the one transfer pusher effects simultaneous transfer of both labels. The extent of the pick-up plate and the sweep of its gum-applying means are appropriately increased, but otherwise function as when only a body label is to be applied. The supplementary plate moves to inclined position as it moves towards its labelapplying position.

In order to maintain contact during rolling, the supplementary plate is preferably additionally pivoted at its end first encountered by the bottle neck, with its other end urged outwards so as to be yieldingly pressed by the rolling of the neck over it.

The invention will now be described by way of example in greater detail as applied to a labelling machine as described in U. S. Patent No. 2,509,902 with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan view;

Figure 2 is a part-sectional elevation, to a larger scale, taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1,

with some parts broken away;

Figure 3 is a plan, to a still larger scale ofpart of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a pick-up box It! and a delivery box ll, each being square, are rotatable intermittently by mechanism (not shown) as described in the prior specification. and come to rest in the positions shown in Figure 1, with one face l2 of the box I0 ready to receive gum from a gumming device I3 (alternatively, the gum could be applied to the face it), with another face 15 ready to receive labels from superimposed stacks l 6, l l, and with another face I8 parallel to a face I!) of the box H. Each face of the box I 0 thus constitutes a pick-up plate in turn, and receives gum from a pair of rollers 20 of the device I3, which make contact with and roll resiliently along the margins of the plate to each side of an upright aperture 2|. When the box 10, through the aperture in the face i5;

to close proximity (position 24A) to the opposed face [9 of the box H to engage the ungummed central portions of both labels, to detach them from the face it, to hold them to itself by suction applied through a passage 25 and opening 25, and to carry them to the box i I.-'- The four main faces of the box H have suction openings 21,

and four supplementary faces 28 have suction openings 29 (with flexible connections 29A passingto the source of suction inside the box ii), so that by appropriate cuttingon of the transfer usher suction, the two labels are left adhering, gummedside'out, to a face of the box it and to a supplementary face 28 associated with that main face. Two part-sectional movements of the box H bring the two labels alongside the feed-path of bottles 39. The face of the box Ii carrying the main label is in line with guides 3| along the bottle path, and each bottle is rolled over that face by contact of its body with a driving member MA. The body label adheres to the body by the gum on its marginal portions.

The neck label needs to be correctly positioned to make contact with the approximately conical surface of the neck of the bottle, the average diameter of which surface (indicated at 32) is less than that of the body. For this purpose, each supplementary face 28 is carried by a block 33 having arms secured to a pivot pin 35 rotatable in the pendant limbs 35 of a bracket 3'5. A coil spring 33 round the pin 35 engages one limb 38 and also a lever 3t secured to the pin, and urges the. block 33 to the inclined position shown at the bottle side of the box i in Figure 2.

The lever 39 is in line with one of two projec tions 46 ona cross-slide 4! (Figure 4), each end 42 of whichencounters in turn a fixed cam 33 as it moves towards the bottle run. Thus, the projection fit is withdrawn clear of thelever 38 of a block 33 carrying a face 28 about to present a neck label. to a bottle, and the block is pivoted by the spring 38 until it meets a stop to (Figure 2) set .on'a lirnb 36 of the bracket 3i in accordance with the desired inclination. The block 33 is surfaced with sponge rubber it, so that some resilience is provided to accommodate the precise inclination and curvature of the neck.

Meanwhile, the slide ii is held by one of two ball catches at lt having entered one of two holes H in the slide, so that the other projection ti! on that slide is held in contact with the lever 39 of the opposite block 33, which it has pushed into upright position, as is required to bring the face 28 of that block upright to receive a neck label that has been transferred (with a main label) from the box iii, In due course, the movement of the slide M is reversed, as the box H continues its part-rotational movements, to return the block that had been tilted and to allow the othe block to tilt.

. .A second slide 35, transverse to the first, provides similar control of the other two blocks 33.

Each slide 45 operates as one block 33 is moving into-position alongside the bottle path, that 4 block then being freed to tilt, and the immediately opposite block (facing the box l0) being brought into substantial alignment with the side of the box l i below it. It follows that the block 33 above the side of the box I I that is next to move alongside the bottle path is in substantial alignment with that side, and the block 33 above the side of the box ii that has just left the bottle path remains tilted and protruding; these positions of the blocks 33 are shown in Figure 1; but in Figure 2-, the block 33 that has just left the bottle path is shown lifted, in order to expose its spring 38 and associated lever 39 more clearly Each brackets? is carried on a plate WA on the underside of a plate 48 supported by columns lt fromthe box H. Each plate 41A is pivoted to the plate at at 551-, with a slot 5! for adjustment of the protrusion of the end 52 of the block 33 that first meets a bottle, and the plate is urged about its pivot by a swivelling spring plunger 53 engaging the neck Moi .a follower roller 55 carried by the plate. The inner edge of a plate'cam 55 (Figures 1 and. 3, but omitted fromrFigure .2) engages the rollers 55 during the greater part .of a full revolution of the box ii, but stops at the point Eli to allow full pivoting about of a block 3' about to meet a bottle. The bottle thus rolls over the face 28 of the block 33 with the pressure of the spring plunger 53 to assist the resilience of the sponge rubber surface 45 in pressing a neck label firmly to the neck. The outward movement of each spring plunger 53 is limited by a stop 53 on an adjustable plate Eachfroller 55 again meets the cam in the next part=rotation of the box it to return its block 33. V V

The application of av body label takes place as described in the prior specification referred to above. The sequence of events of a neck label accompanying a body label will now befollowed: Figure 2 shows the neck label at position 23 to be inclined, as shown by the line til. It is so po sitioned by appropriate. positioning of the upper label stack ll. It remains in this position during transfer, by the suction applied at the upper opening 25 in the pusher 2t, and again remainsin that position during rotation of the box H by suction applied at the opening 29 of the face 28 of the supplementary plate constituted by the block 33. The raised end of the label first meets the bottle neck, and, that end adhering by the gum on it, the label is pulled by the rotation and feed movement of thebottle and twisted on the face 28. To assist this, the face 28 is surfaced with thin smooth plastic sheet 62. when the other gummed end of the label meets the neck. the label has been so twisted (against the retain.- ing action of suction at the opening 29) that the label lies square on the neck. I

The sponge rubber and plastic faced blocks 33 are shown concave, which enhances the protrusion of the end last to contact'the bottle neck; but this concave formation is not essential. 4

Instead of liquid gum being applied, the labels may be coated with thermoplastic adhesive, in which case they may be applied direct from the label stacks to the delivery plates, which latter are then provided with any suitable heating means to soften the adhesive before the labels reach the bottles.

Although the invention enables both a' body label and a neck label to be applied in one opera tion, only a neck label may be applied by omitting presentation of a body label to'the main delivery plate, which then serves the purpose of a surface over which the bottle is rolled, to provide the rolling action required for the application of the neck label. If desired, body-label mechanism and neck-label mechanism may operate in turn in one machine, to apply one or two body labels and one or two neck labels to each bottle.

What we claim is:

1. A bottle-labelling machine comprising a main suction delivery plate adapted to receive a body label, gummed-side out, and a pivoted supplementary suction delivery plate adapted similarly to receive a neck label, means to move the main and supplementary plates from label-receiving position. to label-presenting position, means to urge the supplementary plate outwards about its pivot into an inclined position, means for rolling a bottle over the main plate and the inclined supplementary plate at the label-presenting position, a pivotal support for the end of the supplementary plate first encountered by the bottle neck, and means adapted to urge the other end yieldingly outwards.

2. A labelling machine as in claim 1, wherein the supplementary delivery plate is surfaced with resilient material, and the resilient material is further surfaced with thin smooth plastic sheet.

3. A bottle-labelling machine comprising a rotatable square suction delivery box, the sides of which constitute main delivery plates for body labels, a pivoted supplementary suction delivery plate for a neck label associated with each main plate, means to urge each supplementary plate in turn into an inclined position, means for rolling a bottle over the main plate and inclined supplementary plate, and means for oppositely urging the supplementary plate in turn into substantial alignment with its associated main plate, a pivotal support for the end of the supplementary plate first encountered by the bottle neck, and means adapted to urge the other end yieldingly outwards.

4. A labelling machine as in claim 3, comprising a rotatable square pick-up box, with apertured sides each adapted to receive both a body label and a neck label, the aperture extending over both label positions, and a single suction transfer pusher movable through the aperture of each side in turn towards a side of the delivery box, to detach both labels from one side of the pick-up box and carry them to that side of the delivery box.

5. A labelling machine as in claim 3, wherein each supplementary plate is pivoted at its end first encountered by the bottle neck, means being provided to urge its other end yieldingly outwards.

6. A labelling machine as in claim 3, comprising a spring plunger to urge each supplementary plate outwards, a follower roller connected to each plunger, and a cam plate engaged by the roller in the rotation of the delivery box.

7. Neck-labelling mechanism for bottles, comprising means for conveying a bottle to labelling position, a neck-label suction delivery plate, a mounting for the plate movable between a labelreceiving position and the labelling position, a pivotal connection between the plate and the mounting permitting inclination of the plate about an axis transverse to the height direction of the bottle, and means for resiliently urging the plate into such inclined position.

8. Neck-labelling mechanism for bottles, comprising a plate movable between a label-receiving position and a labelling position, means for conveying a bottle to labelling position, means for rolling a bottle at the labelling position with its body in contact with the plate, a neck-label suction delivery plate pivotally mounted on the first-mentioned plate, means operable by movement of that plate to bring the neck-label delivery plate upright at the label-receiving position and to protrude beyond the first-mentioned plate at the labelling position for engagement with the neck of the bottle, and means to apply a neck-label to the neck-label delivery plate when the delivery plate is upright.

9. Neck-labelling mechanism as in claim 8, wherein the neck-label delivery plate is further pivoted on the first mentioned plate so as to protrude more at its end last encountered by the neck of the bottle, and yielding means for eiiecting this further protrusion.

MORGAN FAIREST. DEREK HOWARD FAIREST.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,509,902 Banks May 30, 1950 2,568,904 Weber et al Sept. 25, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 624,262 Germany Jan. 1.6, 1936 

